Ratchet & Clank: Three Stages
by Rickudemus
Summary: Clank wants to learn more about love, so he asks Ratchet, who is not too good at explaining it. -Mild RxC pairing.


Sometimes Ratchet loved to amuse himself with the fact that Clank could be so incredibly naive. Not to get him wrong, the robot was very smart and Ratchet knew that as clear as day. It was just that simple things would throw the robot off the loop, kind of like when they had just met each other and they had met the robot Qwark in planet Kerwan. Clank had thought it had been the real guy and thinking back on it, it amused Ratchet even more. Of course, at times, Clank's naivety had been troublesome as well, getting them in danger as well. Honestly, the lombax didn't mind so much at this point. It was all in the past anyway.

So there they were, in the kitchen; Ratchet sat at the table, drinking his soda and watching Clank as he stood in front of him at a fair distance. The robot tilted his head, waiting. "Come again?" Chuckling, Ratchet asked his friend, who began to grow slightly frustrated.

"I want to know the concept of love." The robot demanded, which made Ratchet chuckle even more.

"Right, why don't you just ask me to tell all the numbers of Pi." The lombax shook his head, his eyes widening a bit as Clank raised his finger.

"They are 3.141592-"

"Anyways, not the point." Ratchet interrupted, not willing to hear such a long line of numbers. "The point is, the concept of love... It's a big one. I can't just explain it." He leaned over, crossing his fingers as he smiled at his friend with a raised eyebrow. "I mean, shouldn't you already know?"

"I... Guess." Clank looked down, looking kind of sad as he felt kind of foolish for even asking. Seeing this, Ratchet sighed and gave his friend a soft smile.

"Okay, I'll try." This made the robot look up with excitement as he walked up to Ratchet and took a seat next to him, watching him curiously. "To put it shortly, there are many levels of love and for different things. You can love others, as friends, family or lovers. You can love items or actions or certain happenings." Ratchet explained, which made Clank open his mouth.

"I want to know more about the love for others." The suggestion by the robot made Ratchet a bit confused, but he nodded nevertheless and explained what Clank was eager to know about.

"The levels are quite different with loving others. You can love your friends, but you don't necessarily have to tell them. Friends always know. Hanging out, laughing and doing stuff always makes you happy to be with them." Ratchet smiled, Clank only nodding in agreement. "You can love your friends as brothers or sisters, but it's not the same kind of love you feel towards your family. Being born in the same family is said to deepen the relationship, but it's not always so either. Still, you would do anything for your family and you would want to make them proud and protect them. The family might make you mad and you will argue with them, but at the end of the day, you know you can't live without them." He paused for a moment, epecting Clank to interrupt, but surprisingly, he stood quiet. "The love for your lover can sometimes be above that. You want to make sure they know you love them and you would do anything for them. You love seeing them happy and you just plain love seeing them."

Clank nodded as he took the information in, tilting his head again and only now daring to interrupt. "I expected the explanation to be longer."

Letting out a short chuckle, Ratchet rubbed the back of his head. "Well, I tried keeping it simple. The way anyone loves is based on their personalities. This was only the general explanation of it."

"I see." Clank's gaze dropped down as he began to look a little sad. Or, well, not sad per se, but down about something. Ratchet couldn't really explain the expression, the feeling he was getting from his friend.

"What?" Ratchet asked and the robot looked up, both watching each other in confusion which was caused by entirely different matters.

"Where does that leave us?"

Ratchet frose. The question made no sense. He just stared at Clank with his mouth open, trying to think the question over a little. "What do you mean where does that leave us?"

"I find interest in hanging out with you and doing things together. We fight, but we always find a way around it. I want to make you proud and I want to protect you. I would also do anything for you and I am most satisfied to see you happy. Just seeing you makes me happy, because I know you're alright." Clank explained casually as if it was nothing. He tilted his head to the other said in a naive manner, but that was not the case for Ratchet at all. He had to look away. He rested his elbow on the table, leaning his chin against his palm. Trying his best to fight against it, Ratchet's eyebrows furrowed. He felt his cheeks heat up, but doubted that Clank would see his blush, since his cheeks were covered in fur. "Are you alright?" Clank asked carefully, fearing he might've hurt his best friend.

"You're so naive." Ratchet snarled to himself, jumping off the chair and walking out of the kitchen. He headed for the bedroom and Clank watched after him, surprised by the sudden action. After a while, he followed the lombax, stopping by the bedroom's entrance. He watched Ratchet, who was laying on the bed on his right side, just staring the wall with the same expression. Clank knew Ratchet wasn't upset with him; the look on his face wasn't like that. It was something he had never seen before and he wasn't sure what to make of it.

"Ratchet." The robot called, but received no answer nor reaction. He carefully walked over to his friend, cllimbing on the bed and sitting down next to the lombax, who would just look away. "Please, tell me, what's wrong?" The tone didn't change and it was making Ratchet slightly frustrated. Being a "squishy", he was way more emotional and it was difficult at a time like this. He began to breathe more heavily and trying to control it only made it more rapid.

"You talk so much, but you have no clue." Ratchet simply commented, which didn't clear much in Clank's head. He didn't understand what happened, but he felt like he should know. Not saying anything, Clanked moved a little closer, just enough to place his hand on the left side of Ratchet's chest. "Uh, what are you doing?" The flushed lombax asked, quite surprised how his friend sometimes did strange gestures for such innocent reasons, which seemed to be the case in this one.

"Your heart is beating rapidly. It makes me worried. Not only that, your body temperature has increased." Clank analyzed, making the lombax give him a small glare.

"And why do you suppose that is?" He sarcastically asked.

"You're picking up a fever?" The answer in the form a question made Ratchet groan. He wasn't sure what he expected from his robotic friend, but he knew he wasn't going to get it, whatever it was.

"You are just so..." Ratchet shook his head as he turned on his back, covering his eyes with his arm while giving a deep sigh. "Sorry, the conversation just threw me off." He tried to let out a chuckle which came out as more of a painful groan.

"I apologize. I did not mean to upset you. I just wanted to know where I stand with these feelings." Clank explained, finally receiving an eyecontact with the lombax.

"My crude explanation won't get you far, though." Ratchet was able to give a small grin as his arm rested on his forehead. Clank smiled as well, staring into his friend's eyes, letting himself examine them. He always liked to watch them as they held so many emotions and thoughts. The expressive nature of organic life forms was always fascinating to him, but obviously, Clank would never tell this to the lombax.

"It's a start." Clank commented, smiling. He offered his hand to Ratchet, who gave a puzzled stare, but eventually took a hold of it. Neither of them spoke as they held hands and stared at each other. Both were having an immense attack of thoughts, yet so little needed to be done in the situation. They would only smile and give each other a soft chuckle. Nothing needed to be said; they knew. They definitely knew.

Like hell would they say that out loud, though.


End file.
